When you read those four “loves”, were you aware of what type of love I meant? Do you get the sense that I meant different things with each subsequent “love”? Did you think you were about to read the lyrics to a Beatles song? Or, are you a scholar, and immediately realized that I'm about to start talking about the four Greek words for love? If so, pat yourself on the back!

Chances are, if you grew up in the church or went to youth group, you've likely done a study, probably around Valentine's Day, on the four Greek words for love. It's an easy series you can run with youth during February to get students into the Bible and understanding the different ways we are called to love each other and God. Our students are going to get that chance this February, as each week we're going to look at one word to see how it is used in the Bible, and how each one teaches us about how we are called to love.

As I was working on this series for the students, I was reminded of just how important it is to study the Bible. This document that we all hold dear. That we proclaim speaks truth into our lives. We need to be reading it, regularly, and we need to study it. We live in a culture that doesn't teach the Bible in school, and many don't at home. Our exposure now is through Church, Sunday School, or, for those that don't attend a church, the vast ways it's misused and misinterpreted in our various medias. The book itself is relatively easy to read, and we can glean profound insights. But to truly understand the meaning of what's written requires patient contemplation, study, and prayer.

The English language is often more concise than some other languages, but it can also be too concise. And we see it in the example of love. In ancient Greek there are four words for love: Philia, Storge, Eros, and Agape. Each word carries with it a sense of love, but tied to a specific direction, or expression of the love we feel for others. English has streamlined this down to one word. But it's too simple. I love my wife, I love my son, I love having a car, I love living in Canada, I love worshiping in church, and not least of all, I love Jesus Christ. Certainly all the things that I “love” don't reflect the exact same idea, right? Of course not. As 21st century people we understand what kind of love I mean with each thing, based on what it is. But we certainly don't have that understanding when it comes to 1st century scripture authors. THAT's why knowing which ancient Greek word they used can help us better understand the type of love they are talking about in each instance. Does this mean we need to carry around a Greek New Testament and a Greek Lexicon, and all take Ancient Greek for the next four years? No, although it may give us a deeper appreciation for the text we all know and love...

My challenge for you all, with a possible prize...

Read Romans 5:8, then do some studying and figure out which “love” word is being used here. Once you have that, look up that Greek word to discover its meaning. Then email me and let me know what you found!